NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, April 4, 2016

As a teen, Jeffrey Mulaudzi’s obsession with bicycles got him arrested for stealing one.

But now the 22-year-old from Alexandria township in Johannesburg, South Africa,is a proud owner of a bike sharing company that employs six other people and provide bike tours for tourists who want to visit Alexandria.

Mulaudzi seized the opportunity to build a bicycle sharing business during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, hosted in South Africa. Since then he has been offering tours to one of Johannesburg’s oldest townships to tourists and sporting fans visiting the country, South Africa.info reported.

“My first arrest was for stealing a bike. And to see where a bike has gotten me now is another different story. That I was in a prison cell because of a bike and now I’m employing six people from what I was arrested of,” he told DW.

His business has grown from being advertised on brochures in budget hotels in Johannesburg to being included on global travel websites including Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet.